A Sidekick To The Head
by BlackRosary
Summary: A new program has been instituted at Sky High that is supposed to promote team work. Layla and Warren end up partners. Will they be able to win against a confident Will or will their differences cause them to fail before they even begin?
1. Prologue

A Sidekick To The Head

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot of this story. I do not claim to own Sky High or any of it's characters. Disney would be after my butt if I did.

Author's Note: Okay this is an idea I have had rolling around in my head for a while so...ya.

... .. . .. ... .. . .. ...

The early morning sun peaked through the windows of the Williams house. The sounds of chattering children heading to school and adult heading to work filled the air. The chirping birds set a nice counter-beat to the string of creative curses falling from a tall red-head's lips.

"Where in the name of Gaia is my other shoe?" Layla snarled as she stuck a hand under the couch and groped around.

She was so preoccupied that she didn't even notice the thick vine reaching towards her from a nearby pot. Only when it brushed against her ankle did Layla look up. Wrapped in the green foliage was the black flat she had been looking for. Reaching over to take it the plant twined around her hand like a friendly pet.

Giving the plant a pat Layla took the shoe. Glancing up at the clock she cursed again. She slid on the shoe and grabbed her bag. Shutting the door behind her Layla took off towards the bus-stop at a full run. Unlike normal school if she missed the bus she couldn't get a ride from her parents. She would miss the entire day and today was kind of a big deal.

As Layla turned the corner she noted her oldest friend was still waiting patiently by the sign. Raising a hand she waved at him and received a wave in return. The infamous Will Stronghold hadn't changed much over the past two year despite being part of the most famous super hero trio of the modern day.

Layla was so relieved that they could still be friends. After their break-up it had been rough for a while. Tense and awkward. Though the break-up had been mutual it had not been fun. They both understood that the relationship, like many high-school relationships, just wasn't working.

Will had too many insecurities, his height, his powers, the expectations placed on him. Also he spent most of his free time helping his parents on missions and didn't have as much time for his girlfriend as most guys his age. Layla on the other hand felt that most of the time she acted like an older sibling and confidant. Relationships with people you knew since you were in diapers were often more embarrassing then the movie would lead one to believe. Half the fun of dating Layla supposed was learning about the other person.

About three months into the relationship they had been in the middle of yet another fight over Will blowing off a date. Layla had a moment of clarity. As best friend they were great, but they were probably one of the worst couples ever. One conversation later they were both single. It had taken months but they managed to get back to where they were before, incredibly close friends.

"I thought you were going to miss the bus. Stopped to save a tree from a kitten?" Will joked.

Layla's response was cut short as a bright yellow bus ambled down the street. As the doors opened the pair casually boarded the bus. They weren't even fazed as the buckles sprang out, tying them in, and the bus rocketed into the sky.

"Yo my peeps what happenin'?" Zach asked from the seat behind them as Ethan sat quietly beside him.

"Layla almost missed the bus." Will crowed triumphantly.

Glaring Layla smacked him on the shoulder.

"What is this I hear?" Zach pressed a hand to his heart dramatically. "Layla, our Layla, the paragon of punctuality, was late? My whole world view is crushed. My heart won't take the shock."

"What happened?" Ethan asked kindly, interrupting Zach's rant.

"I had a late night last night. I was working on a...project." Layla blushed but continued. "When I woke up this morning I found out my creeping ivy had pushed the snooze button on my alarm clock. More than once apparently."

Zach and Will chuckled while Ethan nodded sympathetically. The rest of the ride was passed in an excited chatter over the following weeks plan. The bus touched down and the four made their way toward the school building, pausing only to bid the new bus driver, Dorothy Harris, goodbye.

"Hey guys," Magenta waved from across the quad. The snaky teen was on a different bus route. As Maj made her way over to the others Zach tried to casually slip his arm around her shoulder. She dodged with ease and stood beside Layla. "You ready for today?"

"I was born ready," Zach bragged trying to impress his crush.

"Ready to get your butt kicked is more likely." A low voice materialized behind Zach.

Said boy jumped so hard his hat fell off, Ethan flinched and melted into a puddle up to his knees, meanwhile Maj, Will, and Layla tried to smother their laughter.

"Impressive," Warren Peace remarked and gestured to Ethan, "you didn't melt all the way this time."

Ethan blushed at the praise but smiled.

"I've been practicing," He admitted.

"Damn," Checking his watched Will frowned. "Guys I gotta go. I promised Coach Boomer I would help him set up."

"Me too." Magenta chimed in. The other's blinked at her in surprise. It was no secret that she wasn't Boomer's biggest fan. "If I let those ham-handed idiots handle my tech who knows what will happen?"

"Well we shall accompany you then my lady," Zach said eagerly, "Come on Ethan. You can finally talk to that sophomore chick on the set-up committee."

Within seconds Layla and Warren found themselves alone.

"Do you feel abandoned," Layla remarked dryly, "or is it just me?"

Warren just shrugged before walking off towards the school building. Used to his anti-social behaviours Layla followed at a trot.

"So are you excited?" She asked when she finally caught up.

"About what?"

"About PHAT week of course." Layla replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Did you just call me fat?" Warren glanced at Layla with a small smirk.

Layla groaned in response.

"Ha ha, very funny smart-ass,"

PHAT week was one of many new programs implemented by the school. Since the whole "Royal Pain" incident in freshman year Sky High had a complete overhaul. The widely publicized fiasco had caused many First-Generation hero's parents too look more closely at their children's education. Upon finding out about the segregation between Heroes and Hero-Support there had been a massive outcry. There had been threats of withdrawing students and civil law-suits.

As a result the Super School Board had once again completely reorganized the system. Firstly the term Hero-Support was completely abolished. Secondly instead of Heroes and Hero-Support having separate classes many of the classes were integrated. Also many new Alternative or Alt Hero classes were added that supported Heroes with unusual powers and taught them how to use their powers to their advantage.

PHAT week had only been instituted this year. PHAT stood for Practical Hero Activity Training. The school decided that since Hero partnerships were so common it was important to teach the students how to work effectively in pairs. For a week juniors and seniors were paired up and set to complete a series of tasks and activities. Some were physical, some were mental, some were creative, and some were down right silly. It was a bit like a school fair but for Heroes. Scores were given out for each activity and at the end of the week the pair with the most points received some prize.

"Why would I be excited about PHAT week?" Warren asked. Layla tilted her head and stared at the pyro curiously. He sighed and kicked a rock. "Look I'm not exactly Mr. Congeniality if you haven't noticed."

A snort escaped Layla despite her efforts to hold it in.

"Anyways," Warren continued with a glare, "with my reputation and my father there is no way anybody is going to want me as a partner. That's just the way things are. Most people think I'm going to end up a villain anyway so why should I bother trying to change their minds? I don't care what people think of me. Never have, never will."

Layla was so shocked that she couldn't find words. Despite his words it was obvious that Warren was unhappy about the other students prejudice. It hadn't really occurred to her before but it must have been hard for him living under the shadow of his father's crimes.

Still deep in thought Layla bid Warren an absent goodbye and headed to the combat arena to sit with the other juniors.

Upon entering Layla was instructed to reach into a large box and pull out a piece of paper. On it was a number that would dictate in what order she might choose her partner. The higher the number the more choices she had.

Entering the hall and taking her seat with Will, Maj, Zach, and Ethan she regarded the small four written in bright red ink.

"Good morning students," Principal Powers stood on a raised podium and addressed the assembled student body. "It is my honour the start off what we hope to be the first in a long line of successful Practical Hero Activity Training."

The speech was in no way original. It was almost identical to the one Principal Powers gave for every occasion. As a result Layla's mind began to wander and again it was dragged back to her conversation with Warren.

It just wasn't fair for him to be treated so badly for something that had happened before he was even born. For a school that was so focused on "educating future Heroes" it seemed full or prejudice jerks. If these were the Heroes of the future the world was in deep trouble, Layla concluded.

Layla was jerked out of her musings as Coach Boomer took Principal Powers place at the podium. In his usual loud voice he called student number one to the podium. Smirking Zach stood up, and then with a smug shrug to his friends, he marched calmly to the podium.

Tripping as he walked up the stairs Zach managed to make it to the microphone with no major injuries.

"So Braun," Coach Boomer said as he regarded his ever present clip board, "who do you choose as your partner?"

Grabbing the mike Zach smiled widely.

"That's easy I will of course be choosing the lovely Magenta."

It was almost scary how synced Magenta and Coach Boomer's eye rolls were. Sympathetically Layla patted her friend on the arm as she passed on her way to stand beside her, literally, glowing partner.

The next two students were people Layla knew by name but not personally. The first was a senior girl who chose her boyfriend and the other was a junior who chose his best friend. Immediately Layla was starting to see a pattern.

Still her heart jumped as Coach Boomer called her number. Carefully she headed down the bleachers to the stage.

Inadvertently she caught sight of Warren seated with the rest of the seniors. He wasn't hard to spot due to the empty space that formed a five foot radius around his seat. It seemed that the other students would rather sit on top of each other rather than sit anywhere close to the teen.

Suddenly Layla made up her mind.

"So Williams who will it be?" Coach Boomer asked. He didn't even pretend to look interested in her answer.

"I choose Warren Peace." Layla said clearly into the microphone.

For a moment there was the kind of silence one hears only when someone make a joke at a funeral. Coach Boomer nodded absently and made a mark on his list. From where she was standing Layla could see he had made a mark beside Will's name. Suddenly, as if the information had just sunk into his brain, the Coach's head jerked up. His eyes were comically wide.

"Really?" He managed to choke out. "Peace?"

Layla nodded solemnly. Immediately Coach Boomer lit up like a Christmas tree.

"That'ta girl," He crowed, thumping her so hard on the back that Layla nearly fell off the stage. "Way to take one for the team."

Rubbing the spot where Boomer had tried to knock her spine through her chest Layla took her place with the other pairs stood. With practiced ease she ignored the murmurs of the confused body.

"What was that about?" Magenta hissed when the girl was in earshot. "I thought you were going to pair up with Will. Everyone did."

"Ya Lay," Zach chimed in. "What were you thinking?"

"That is exactly what I would like to know." Once again Warren managed to sneak silently up behind the group. His sudden appearance caused Zach to grip his palpitating heart.

"Quit doing that dude, you're going to give me a heart attack."

"I'm failing to see the downside." Magenta muttered.

Layla was happy at the conversations change in direction but the look on Warrens face told her he wouldn't be distracted for long. Looking around she noticed Will walking towards the group with a stormy look on his face.

Excusing herself Layla managed to intercept the boy and drag him out to a secluded hall before he could explode on her in front of everyone.

"What the hell Layla?" Will predictably exploded. "I thought we agreed we were going to choose each other."

"Look Will," Layla sighed and rubbed her forehead in frustration. "Nobody was going to pair up with Warren and you know it. People are scared to death of him and he would never admit to wanting to participate anyways. He's our friend. We can't just let him get left out like that."

"Well you're MY best friend in case you forgot."

Layla was shocked by Will's jealous tone. Immediately she felt a twinge of anger but managed to stomp it down. After all she knew exactly how Will was feeling. She had felt the same way when Gwen or Sue or whatever her name was, tried to take her best friend away.

"Don't you take that attitude with me William Stronghold," Just because Layla understood Will's feelings did not mean she was going to let him walk all over her though. "This isn't some competition between you and Warren. I have every right to choose any partner I want whether you are my best friend or not. Also don't act like you're not happy Madeline made you her partner. I've seen you staring at her in Advanced Aerial Rescue Class."

Will blushed but didn't deny it. Taking a breath he seemed to calm down as the tension leaked from his posture.

"Sorry Lay," Will apologized sheepishly, "I guess I kinda lost my head for a minute. You were right to choose Warren it just surprised me a bit I guess."

Having calmed down they both headed back into the arena to find their respective partners. Seeing Will Madeline, a short blonde, began to wave enthusiastically. Before heading over Will had one last comment.

"I'm just saying be careful Layla," The red-head just blinked at him. "I mean it's not unusual for hero pairs to end up dating. So stay on guard."

The feigned serious look on Will's face caused Layla to snort derisively.

"Shut up Will."

... .. . .. ... .. . .. ...

So ya that's the prologue. Hope you like it. If you did please review because reading reviews makes me happy. Sorry about any spelling or grammar errors if you see any tell me. TTFN


	2. Running Lines

Sidekick to the Head

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot of this story. I do not claim to own Sky High or any of its characters. Trust me if I did that movie would have ended very differently.

AN: I have had about a million people telling me to post a chapter 2. I thought I had but when I checked apparently I didn't so here it is.

…

Layla shook her head at Will's retreating back. He could be such a tool sometimes. Entering the gym again she found herself face to face with a fuming Warren.

"_Out of the frying pan and into the fire."_ Layla mused ironically.

"Can we talk?" Warren asked through gritted teeth. "I'm so glad you agree."

Not even waiting for her response he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back into the hall. When Warren turned to face her, Layla could practically see smoke coming from his ears. No wait, she could in fact see literal smoke coming out his ears.

"What were you thinking?" He shouted.

A passing freshman paused, assessing the scene he promptly turned and fled down the hallway in the opposite direction.

Layla turned and placed her hands on her hips, Warren could be such a drama queen sometimes.

"What is your problem?" She folded her arms. "You said you didn't have a partner. I chose you as my partner. I don't see what the big deal is."

"You don't see what the big deal is?" Warren repeated, completely mystified. "The big deal is that I didn't want to participate in this stupid thing in the first place."

Suddenly Warren's face turned livid again.

"And I certainly don't want to be stuck with some veg-head hippie because she feels sorry for me."

"What?" Layla sputtered. "Who said anything about feeling sorry for you?"

"Why else would you choose me as your partner?"

Warren folded his arms and waited. The look on his face gave Layla pause. She knew from experience that when he got in a stubborn mood like this it was best to tred carefully. As a result she chose the best answer she could come up with.

"I want to win."

The simple answer gave Warren pause. Seeing him struck silent Layla continued.

"I'm tired of people underestimating me and I want to prove that I'm just as good a hero as anyone else."

"Oh," Warren replied quietly. "Well….well why didn't you choose Stronghold for your partner then?"

"People think of me as his little sidekick. Even Will treats me that way some times." Layla shrugged. "I just want to prove I can be a hero myself. Is that so wrong?"

"So it's not because you feel sorry for me?" Warren asked dubiously.

Layla could almost feel him falling into her trap.

"No, I want to win." She paused just long enough to gain his attention. "Unless you don't think you can. I mean Will is pretty strong."

Suddenly bright red flames licked their way up Warren's hands reaching up his arms to his shoulders. Layla had to keep herself from flinching away from the intense heat. Suddenly Warren grabbed her wrist and looked her seriously in the eye.

"I could beat Stronghold any day of the week."

Layla couldn't help the slight grimace that made its way onto her face. The heat from his flames wasn't burning per say, but it was unpleasantly hot and his tight grip only made it worse.

Seeing her flinch Warren immediately dropped her wrist and took a step back. He scowled as the flames faded and he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Alright then," Layla continued casually, ignoring their awkward interaction, "if you think you can handle the challenge then let's go in there and kick some hero butt."

"Whatever." Warren barked and marched back into the combat arena.

"Ray of freaking sunshine." Layla grumbled as she followed him in.

Suddenly this didn't seem like such a good idea after all.

…

"Alright students," Principal Powers said into the microphone, "please open your envelopes."

There was a rustling of paper and Warren and Layla leaned in to look at the single sheet in their hands.

"On this paper is a list items that you need to collect. You will have two hours to do so and each pair will receive a point for every item bring back. The pair with the most items will receive an extra 10 points."

There was a burst of noise as everyone started talking to their partners at once. Principal Powers held up a hand for silence.

"Since we have so many participating students the 10 teams with the lowest scores at the end of the day will be eliminated. Using your powers in encouraged but attacking or stealing from another team is forbidden. Anyone caught doing so will be immediately ejected from the competition and disciplinary action. Will be taken"

She paused and glared at the crowd of teens. Her deep frown showing that she was not kidding.

"Finally," she continued. "I would strongly recommend you take this time to get to know your partner if you don't already as it will prove useful later on. So in conclusion, on your mark…get set…go!"

And with that a stampede barreled towards the exits. Students streaming in every direction.

It was all Layla could do to grab hold of Warren's arm to avoid being swept away by the tide. When they finally made it to an open area both were gasping for breath.

"Okay," Layla pushed herself upright and pulled out the paper. "We have to have a strategy for this. I suggest we go through the list and do the easiest ones first then try the harder ones.

Warren nodded in reluctant agreement.

"What's the first question say?"

Layla cleared her throat and read the question aloud.

"I have a face that doesn't frown, I have hands that do not wave, I have no mouth, just a familiar sound, I don't walk - but I move around..."

Layla blinked and looked at Warren, who had an equally lost look on his face.

"Well this sucks." Warren summed up the situation succinctly.

Frankly Layla couldn't agree more.

…

Despite their slow start Layla and Warren managed to work their way through most of the list. They had about forty seven items and answers.

Some were easy to figure out like "What is Nurse Spex first name?" and "How many students were bitten by radioactive spiders in 1992?". But some of the riddles were a little trickier like, "The more I dry, the wetter I become" (a towel) and "I start with an "e", I end with an "e", but I usually contain only one letter" (an envelope).

Layla had just finished handing a cup of coffee to Warren when she looked down at her watch. It was the answer to the question, "Professor Medulla's kryptonite".

Biting back a curse she dragged him towards the combat arena. There was only 5 minutes left until the 2 hours was up.

"Whoa there hippie," Warren said irritably. "Where's the fire?"

"We have only a few minutes to make it to the combat arena or we'll be disqualified." Seeing Warren's apathetic stare made Layla grind her teeth in frustration. "Then we will lose to Will."

There was a flash of indecision on Warren's face and he pulled her to a stop. Ignoring her high pitched scolding he shoved the cup of coffee and bag full of objects they collected into her hands.

Layla just stared for a moment. Was he giving up on the competition?

This idea was driven from her mind as the larger boy bent down, and with a low grunt, heaved Layla over his shoulder and took off at a trot.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" Layla shrieked, struggling slightly but giving up when she realized its futility.

"Winning." Warren replied grimly.

They barely made it through the doors with only a minute to spare.

Warren deposited Layla to her full and upright position with surprising gentleness. Gazing into each other's eyes Layla could feel they were having a bonding moment.

"Hippie you have to lay off the pizza." Warren smirked while panting.

And the moment was gone.

Not even bothering to retort Layla looked around to see how everyone else had fared. Many of the other couples looked exhausted but happy. Most were chatting happily with each other, a few were arguing, and one or two looked about ready to tear each other to pieces.

'_So much for working together,'_ Layla marveled as Coach Boomer had to physically separate one fighting pair.

"Layla, Warren, over here!"

Layla turned to find Zack waving enthusiastically from his spot by the window, while Magenta just shook her head. Ethan and his partner, Jun, stood nearby. She was a cute little thing with long straight black hair and thick rimmed glasses.

The slightly geeky pair stood quietly side by side, and as she made her way over Layla could see Zack lean over and whisper something in Ethan's ear. Whatever it was caused Magenta to smack him across the back of the head and Jun to turn a bright shade of red.

"Hey guys." Layla frowned as she looked around at her assembled group of friends. "Where's Will?"

"We haven't seen him." Ethan supplied with a shrug.

"He's going to be late if he doesn't hurry up." Layla cast a worried glance towards the door.

"Stronghold's a big boy," Warren grunted, "he can look after himself. Besides he's the competition remember."

Layla cast him a withering glare.

"Times up!"

Everyone winced as Coach Boomer's declaration echoed through the room. As the doors swung shut Layla let out a sigh. Will had missed the time limit.

A sudden tapping caused Layla to jump. Turning around she found herself face to face with a grinning Will. Pulling open the window Layla frowned as Will floated in, followed by Madeline whose snow white wings melted into her back the second she touched down.

"That's cheating." Layla said reproachfully.

"I prefer to call it creative use of resources." Will replied with his signature smile.

Layla smacked him on the shoulder, but grinned back. She could never stay mad at him for long.

"As cute as this banter is," muttered Warren, "I think we're supposed to check-in our items or something."

"Alright big guy, let's go."

Gripping Warren's leather jacket by the sleeve she dragged him over to one of the check-in tables.

"Show me what you've got," sighed Ms. Sunfire as she pulled out her checklist. The older teacher was clearly becoming bored with the event.

She looked down at Layla and Warren's cup of coffee, which now contained about two tablespoons of liquid, and raised a single eyebrow before marking a check on her paper.

By the time all the items and answers had been tallied Layla was pleased to find they had a total of forty three items. Only four items short of the whole list.

By the time they found their way back to the group, including Will and Madeline, Coach Boomer was ready to announce the winners.

"Alright," He bellowed, causing a few people to cover their ears, "I'll be announcing those pairs that didn't make the cut."

Boomer rattled off a bunch of names but to Layla's relief hers and Warren's weren't on it. Neither were Magenta and Zack, Ethan and Jun, or Will and Madeline.

"It was a close race," Coach Boomer continued, "but there is always a winner and with a score of 44 our first place pair is Stronghold and Le Beaux."

A resounding cheer went up through the crowd.

"Alright, alright calm down. The next activity will be starting in ten minutes. Everyone head over to the check-in tables to be assigned your next activity."

"We should probably get going." Ethan said, nodding to the tables. "It looks like it's getting busy over there."

"Come on dude let's go." Grabbing Magenta by the wrist he proceeded to drag her over to the closest table.

Shaking his head Ethan and Jun quickly followed, leaving Will, Madeline, Layla, and Warren to themselves.

"That guy has way too much energy." Madeline said with a giggle. "I'm going to go save us a spot okay?"

Will nodded and watched her walk off. Layla was about to make a teasing comment when Warren cut her off.

"Hey Stronghold, don't get to cocky just because you won the first round." Warren folded his arms and stared challengingly down at Will. "Me and the Hippie are going to kick your butt and win this stupid thing."

Layla mentally smacked herself in the forehead as she saw the competitive gleam in Will's eye. She knew first-hand just how stubborn the boy could be.

"You're on Peace, but don't be too broken up when Madeline and I come in first alright?"

"We'll see about that."

Warren stomped off towards one of the tables, sending students scattering to get out of his way. Layla cast mock suffering smirk in Will's direction, then followed her partner.

"Peace and Williams?" Ms. Starfire glanced as her paper and gestured to a large box beside her. "Alright, pick a ball."

Layla glanced at Warren, who shrugged apathetically in response. With a sigh she reached into the box and pulled out a small white ball. Apparently Sky High was a big believer in the luck of the draw.

"White?" Ms. Starfire consulted her list again. "That means you two are in Group 1."

"Group 1 for what?" Layla asked. They had yet to be notified of what the next activity actually was.

Suddenly, Warren leaned past, his eyes intent on the paper on the table. Suddenly a wicked grin spread across his face. As he turned to face her Layla couldn't help but feel a nervous jolt through her body. Whatever the answer was, it wasn't going to be good.

"Super Powered Dodge-ball."

Aw crap.

….

K there we go. So Super Powered Dodge-Ball…I'm sure that's going to end well. :) So I hope you guys like it and thank you so much for the reviews. Frankly they are the only thing that made me actually update (damn distracting life). So ya reviews make me want to update so more reviews=more update. It you have any comments or ideas feel free or even if you just want to say hi (also any spelling errors you may notice…I have to work on that). Anyways TTFN~


	3. Headshot

Sidekick to the Head

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot of this story. I do not claim to own Sky High or any of its characters. If I did then I wouldn't be drowning in students loans.

AN: So here's chapter 3. I'm going to be honest I didn't really think anyone would read this, it was sort of a vanity project. I'm really glad so many people enjoy it. Thanks for all the reviews.

…

Layla tugged at her white t-shirt in disgust. The "new" gym uniforms were clearly designed either by a pervert, or someone with a sick sense of humor.

"Something wrong Plant Girl?" Warren tossed a knowing look in her direction.

"Ugh, these shorts are too…short."

"I think they're just fine." Warren's smirk was a little too wide for Layla's taste.

Finally giving up trying to cover herself, Layla placed her hands on her hips and glared fully at Warren.

"It's not like you have anything to complain about."

He was dressed in a similar white t-shirt and navy blue shorts. His were considerably longer though. It was very strange for Layla to see him dressed so unlike his normal self. With his long hair tied back in a short ponytail he looked almost…cute.

She was almost tempted to tell him so but decided against it. He would probably have a blow-up in the most literal sense.

Warren looked down at his outfit and frowned. Suddenly, flames erupted from his arms scorching the fabric until the sleeves had turned to ash.

"Much better." Warren rolled his shoulders, apparently quite pleased with himself.

Layla rolled her eyes but didn't comment. It was just another instance of Warren being Warren.

"Teams into position." Boomer hollered.

Immediately Warren and Layla took their places at one side of the massive arena. The empty white space was surrounded by tall protective dividers (to keep the crowd from falling victim to any stray balls) and a single red line divided it down the middle.

The point of the game, Warren had explained, was to hit as many people on the opposing team as possible. Every hit would gain a point and the target would be out of the game for 30 seconds. The game ended automatically after 20 minutes or if someone hit the "citizen" doll at either end of the arena. If a player hit the opposing team's doll then the game ended and the entire team scored 10 extra points. So, players had to try to score points while simultaneously defending their doll. The use of powers was mandatory but not to the point where it would physically hurt another player.

"This just keeps getting better." Layla heard Warren mutter almost gleefully, well as gleefully as Warren could sound at least.

Looking across the arena Layla caught sight of a familiar pair of faces and groaned. Of course, of course Will would be on the opposing team. There was no other conclusion but that the universe hated her and took great pleasure in making a mess of things.

"Hey Hippie," Warren said smugly, "you might want to stay behind me. A tree-hugger like you won't last long on the battlefield."

Layla raised a single thin eyebrow. Sure she wasn't Little Miss Aggressive, but she had held her own against Penny as a freshman and had participated in "Save the Citizen" many times since then.

"Sorry to disappoint you Rambo," Layla's voice was dry, "but I suck at playing damsel."

She closed her eyes and concentrated. There were no seeds on the floor but beneath the cement there was a world of green life. People often mistook plants as weak and passive. They didn't realize the world could be full of tiny green enemies.

Up through the pavement rose three green vines. They grew until they were taller than Layla; they were even taller than Warren. About a meter around, they swayed lazily in the air like octopus tentacles.

"Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'A good defense is the best offense'?" It was Layla's turn to be smug.

Warren was about to respond, probably with some snarky comeback, but was interrupted by a shrill whistle that signaled the beginning of the game.

The only way Layla could accurately describe the following events was chaos, complete and utter chaos. Balls were flying everywhere. One whizzed by, narrowly missed hitting her in the face. She caught sight of it hit a boy behind her, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"Keep your head in the game." Warren warned as he lobbed a ball at the other team.

"R-right."

Layla picked up a ball and threw it as hard as she could. It made a pitiful arc through the air, missing its target by a good five feet. Layla heard Warren snort and flushed a deep red.

From then on she focused mainly on defense. This was good because while Warren had fantastic aim, he seemed to be completely alien to the concept of blocking. She watched out of the corner of her eye as he took aim, taking out another player of the other team with a headshot. While the balls were resistant to fire, Warren's powers defiantly put him at an advantage.

Warren wasn't the only one dominating in the game though. On the other team Will was flying around, beening the white team with almost unnatural glee. His partner was about as adept at throwing as Layla was, but was quite good at catching. So Madeline had resigned herself to collecting balls and ferrying them to her partner.

The minutes ticked by and soon Layla and Warren had settled into a comfortable rhythm. Layla would use her vines to smack away or catch any balls that came their way and Warren could take out as many opponents as he liked without having to worry about keeping his guard up.

Layla took a peek up at the clock. Only a minute left. Suddenly she was struck with an idea. The red team had a boy by the name of Cole Dugan. He had the power to bend light, making himself or whatever target he chose invisible. Cole was a charismatic boy with almost supernatural leadership abilities. The second the game had started Cole had taken charge, calling orders and organizing his "troops".

After her first pitiful throw the red team had written her off as a non-threat and as such more focus was placed on the more aggressive players, like Warren, who posed an actual treat.

Maybe, Layla pondered, she could use that to her advantage. It would be dangerous. If her plan worked then she would be completely vulnerable.

Deciding it was worth the risk, Layla grabbed a ball with one of her vines. Using the others to obstruct what she was doing, she coaxed the vine into a coil. Biting her lip Layla took a second, and let her defenses drop to the ground.

Her ball sprung forward, rocketing past the red team.

It connected directly with the "citizen" doll and Layla let out a whoop of triumph. The last thing Layla heard was the buzzer sound, signaling the end of the game, then the world wet dark.

…

"Urg," Layla groaned and her eyes slid open.

Pain, so much pain, the room was far too bright and she felt like she'd been hit by a meteor. Putting her arms firmly on the mattress beneath her, Layla prepared to raise herself into the sitting position. Only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Whoa, slow down there Hippie," an amused but familiar voice said.

Layla turned her head and caught sight of Warren's smirking face.

"Morning, sunshine."

"What…what happened?" Layla looked around. She was lying on a cot in the infirmary. "What am I doing here?"

"Well," Warren drawled, "someone thought it would be a good idea to drop her defenses and leave herself completely exposed."

"Did we win?" Layla sat bolt upright, immediately regretting the decision.

"Yeah, we won." Warren shook his head in disbelief. "You're crazy. You wake up in the nurse's office and the first thing you ask is if we won the dodgeball game? And here I thought I was competitive."

"I like to win." Layla shrugged.

She swung her legs over the edge of the cot. The ground heaved beneath her and for a second Layla was convinced that her knees were going to give out. The only thing that kept her from collapsing into an undignified heap was a firm hand on her elbow.

Layla quickly regained her balance.

"Thanks."

Warren grumbled something under his breath and shoved his hands in his pockets. Layla had to suppress a giggle, Warren could be so defensive sometimes, but she knew she had worried him.

"What happened?" Layla asked, gingerly touching her head. It still ached fiercely.

"Well, just as you won the game for our team, someone on the other team was throwing a ball. It went wide and caught you right in the head." Warren shrugged. "It was pretty impressive; you went down like a load of bricks. They brought you to Spex's office and after she checked that there was no lasting damage the principal decided to let you sleep it off. I was elected to stay here and wait for you to wake up. You sure took your time."

"Wow, all that from a head shot?" Layla said, surprised.

It took a lot of force to knock someone out just by hitting them in the head, especially with a rubber ball. Suddenly a disturbing thought came into Layla's mind.

"It was Will wasn't it?" Layla's voice was firm and she watched Warren's face for a reaction.

Warren didn't say anything but the way he avoided her eyes told Layla all she needed to know. Guilt filled Layla's chest. Will probably felt so bad right now and it was all her fault. If she hadn't made such a risky move then her vines would have stopped, or at least slowed down, Will's shot.

He was already sensitive about his super-strength, always careful not to be too rough on his friends. Despite his friendly, carefree personality Layla knew how hard he worked to keep his strength in check and the amount of self-control it entailed. Will still lost control sometimes, his parents had started buying alarm clocks in bulk supply, but he had never hurt ay of them before. This incident had likely affected him deeply.

Neither Layla nor Warren said anything for a while. Both were caught up in their own thoughts.

"Aw man," Layla finally sighed, breaking the silence. "How am I going to get home?"

The clock on the wall read 6:30. All of the busses had gone home already and since neither Layla nor Warren could fly, they were both stranded. The school was nice and all but Layla didn't fancy spending the night.

"Chill out, I've got it covered."

Warren grabbed Layla's bag off the ground and swung it over his shoulder. When Layla went to take it from him, he merely shrugged nonchalantly.

"I've got it."

Layla couldn't help but smile as she followed Warren outside. He really could be nice if he put his mind to it. Under all that bluster he was just a big teddy bear. A flaming teddy bear, but a teddy bear none the less.

"There's our ride." Warren said as he gestured proudly.

Seeing their ride Layla immediately reassessed her previous evaluation.

Parked on the sidewalk was a shiny red motorcycle. Possibly the most clichéd ride she had ever seen, it was painted a dark maroon with flames detailed across the top. The silver and red vehicle glinted in the sun, almost mockingly.

"I can't ride that." Layla said shakily and took a step back.

"Why not?" Warren almost looked put out at Layla's refusal. "It's perfectly safe."

"Um," Layla was at a loss. Sure she had been flying with Will but this was completely different. "I don't have a helmet."

Warren smirked and lifted the seat. From inside he pulled two helmets, one red and black, the other a dark green. Without a word he tossed one to Layla.

She fumbled for a minute.

"Any other issues?" Warren asked condescendingly. "Or have you decided that hanging around here is your best option?"

"You're sure it's safe?" Layla demanded. "It's not going to catch fire while we're flying will it?"

If there was one thing she had learned from Super-Transportation class, was that it was always important to clarify these things. One hero's means of transportation wasn't always safe for heroes with different powers.

"No flames except the decals I swear." Donning his helmet he swung one leg casually over the bike. "Now are we going or what?"

For a moment Layla's mouth went numb. As he sat casually sprawled across his bike, signature smirk in place, Layla had to admit that Warren looked good. Like really good.

Layla had always known that Warren was a good looking guy, it was part of the reason she had chosen him to make Will jealous. He pulled of that hot bad-boy look that so many guys tried and failed at and he did it without even trying. Layla could only pray that he hadn't developed mind reading powers in the last 2 minutes, a legitimate possibility, because if he knew what she was thinking she might have to throw herself off the side of the school.

'_Damn teenage hormones.' _Layla grumbled mentally.

"Hello?"

Layla blinked to find Warren waving a hand in front of her face.

"I asked if we were going." Warren repeated slowly, as if he were speaking to a small child.

"Um y-yeah sure." Layla stammered, putting on her own helmet and hopping onto the back of the bike.

Apparently he hadn't noticed the red in her cheeks because Warren just shrugged and flipped up the kickstand.

After a moments consideration Layla placed her hands firmly on Warren's shoulders. It was a perfectly neutral place to hold onto for the duration of the ride.

"Is this alright?" Layla asked, just to be certain.

"Oh sure," Warren said, "for about 2 seconds after we get into there. After that the wind's velocity will send you off the back resulting in a long fall that will most likely end in fatal impact. I know you've watched those crappy chick movies before. You know where you're supposed to grab."

Layla couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"I don't watch "chick movies" often thank you very much and I always assumed they were exaggerating. Isn't there anywhere else to hold on?"

"Not on this bike." Warren gave gusty sigh. "Look I'll do it for you if you're going to be squeamish."

Reaching around back he grabbed one of her arms and moved it around his waist, doing the same to the other.

"There, now can we go? This is way more time at school then should be legal."

Layla was about to ask why he bothered staying so long if he hated it so much. She never got the chance because Warren flipped a switch on one of the handlebars, released the clutch and gave it the gas.

Immediately they were sent careening down the sidewalk. It was just as well that school was out because at the speed they were going and pedestrians would have ended up as flesh coloured smears on the cement.

The second the bike had started to move Layla's grip on Warren tightened. Peeking around his back Layla instantly regretted the act as she caught sight of the edge of the platform, it was approaching fast.

As they went over the edge Layla had to suppress an instinctive shriek. For a moment they were caught in freefall, until Warren flipped a switch and switched gears. Then instead of a frantic descent they bike kept a more controlled pace.

Speeding through the sky Layla chanced a peek around. It really was different from flying with Will. First they were moving much faster and second, if she were to fall there probably wasn't much Warren could do to save her even if he wanted to. With that in mind Layla couldn't even find it in her to be pressed so close to Warren, nope she was too busy being terrified out of her mind.

When they finally touched down in her neighbourhood and rolled to a stop in front of her house Layla jumped off the bike so fast that her foot got caught on the curb, sending her sprawling onto the grass.

"Whoa, jumpy much?" Warren popped the kickstand on his bike. "See I got you home safe and sound."

"Sure," Layla joked dryly, "I only lost a few years of my life. No big."

Taking off the helmet she chucked it lightly at his head. Deftly Warren caught it with one hand and placed it back under the seat.

"Too bad you weren't making throws like that during the game." He teased. "You might not have had to knock yourself unconscious just to win if you had."

Layla childishly stuck out her tongue, but it quickly dissolved into a giggle.

"Thanks for waiting up for me, and for the ride home." She said sincerely.

Warren merely shrugged and restarted his bike.

"No problem." He said before taking off into the evening sky.

Layla shook her head as she watched him go. That boy really needed to learn how to accept gratitude. As she turned to go back in the house something twitched at the edge of her consciousness. Reaching out with her powers Layla sensed a familiar figure standing behind some bushes not far away.

"Will, I know you're there." She called, placing her hands on her hips. "Stop being a creeper and get out here."

"You always did have an unfair advantage in hide and seek." Will grumbled as he stood up and brushed off his knees.

"You're just jealous of my epic seeking skills." Layla joked

Will smiled broadly for a moment but it soon faded. Staring at the ground he scuffed self-consciously at the lawn.

Layla stood patiently waiting. Whatever Will needed to say he would find the words eventually.

"Layla," Will's voice cracked slightly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you I swear. We were playing and I got excited and…and I'm so sorry."

"Oh Will," Layla placed a comforting hand on her friends shoulder. He had grown the last few years and was now half a head taller than she was. "I know it was an accident. You would never hurt me on purpose. We're best friends; we've known each other since we were in diapers. There is no one in the world I trust more then you."

"But I hurt you." Will's words came out as a shame filled whisper. "I'm dangerous. What if next time it isn't just a hit on the head? What if next time I seriously hurt you…or worse?"

Will looked so down-hearted that Layla's heart ached for her friend. When most people found out about his powers and his parents their first response was usually envy. Envy at having two powers, at being part of an already established super-hero team. They never considered the pressure he was under or how hard he worked to try to live up to everyone's expectation.

"Whoa there," Layla managed to say lightly, smacking Will on the shoulder. "You need to turn your drama dial way down. You got a lucky hit?" She shrugged casually. "Big deal. You make it sound like you're going to turn into the Hulk or something. Despite what you seem to think I'm not some delicate flower that will shatter at the smallest hit. I'm not going to die and I'm not going anywhere so get used to it."

"But…"

"No buts," Layla's voice was gentler but equally as firm. "I don't forgive you Will." Will looked stricken but Layla held up a hand.

"Only because there is nothing to forgive. Whatever happened was an accident end of story."

The look of relief on Will's face was almost too much to bear so Layla reached up and drew him into a hug. Despite what others at school may have assumed there were no residual romantic feeling between the two, no pining, no UST. They were just two friends that shared a bond that could not be broken by time or ill-conceived attempts at romance.

"Don't think this means I'm going to go easy on you." Layla ribbed as she drew back. "Me and Warren are going to kick your butt tomorrow."

"Oh you are so on." Will shot back, reverting to his normal self. The gleam of competition in his eyes was a relief.

After bidding goodnight to each other Layla headed inside. She had a few phone calls to make to some likely worried friends and she wanted to turn in early.

Fixing herself a cup of Jamaican dogwood and cinnamon tea to ease her headache, Layla collapsed on the couch and started dialing on the phone.

It had really been an eventful day. Hopefully he would live through the next four.

…

So day 1 is done. Wow 3 chapters for 1 day, hopefully day 2 won't take so many chapters. If you like this story, tell me. It makes me happy to know other people besides me enjoy it.


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